2021-03-31-accounts

The Hub Trust

Report and Accounts Year ended 31 March 2021

1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk

THE HUB TRUST

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 32 Bradleys Corner Hitchin Hertfordshire SG4 0PR GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO Constitution incorporated 21 July 2016 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1168348 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Veronica Alvarez MANAGING THE CHARITY Robert Bryan (Chair) David Holmes Daniel Oakes Rabiat Yusuff (resigned June 2021) BANKERS The Co-operative Bank plc. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Jaimée Young Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB

INDEX

Page 1 Legal and Administrative Details Pages 2-6 Trustees' Report Page 7 Independent Examiner's Report Page 8 Receipts and Payments Account Page 9 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Pages 10-11 Notes to the Accounts

Page 1

The Hub Church Hitchin [phone] [e-mail]

www.thehubchurch.co.uk

The Hub Trust

Trustees’ Report

For The Year Ended 31st March 2021

Charity Purposes

The purposes of The Hub Trust are for the advancement of the Christian faith in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and such other parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the charity trustees may from time to time decide.

In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.

Governance

The Hub Trust is governed by trustees who meet regularly to review activities. Some of the day to day decisions about operations are delegated to the church leader where suitable.

New trustees are appointed by the existing trustees and the church leader.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Whilst the pandemic has effected the way in which the Hub has been able to operate it has not stopped the church from living out its vision and values. While not able to meet in person the usual two communities have been meeting online through a variety of methods including Zoom and online videos. Where the restrictions have allowed the church has also managed to return to in person gatherings, moving from two larger weekly gatherings before the pandemic to three smaller socially distanced gatherings whilst continuing to provide online content for those not able to leave their homes. As will be evident throughout this report, the key has been to be flexible and ready to adapt as changing guidance allows or puts a stop to various events and means of gathering.

Financially the Hub has been extremely fortunate not to have suffered to the extent many have during the pandemic. This is mainly in part to the continued generosity of our donors in this difficult time. This combined with a reduction in some costs such as rent as we did not have to rent space while we were meeting online, has meant that the Hub has managed to come through the past year in good financial shape with no staff having needed to be furloughed throughout the pandemic. Whilst it is still possible that the situation could change, the level of giving combined with the healthy reserves held at present mean there is no reason why the church should not be able to continue throughout the coming years.

The Hub Church is part of The Hub Trust. Registered charity no. 1168348

Page 2

The Hub Church Hitchin [phone] [e-mail]

www.thehubchurch.co.uk

Main Activities

Advancement of the Christian faith in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

The Hub Trust has continued to provide a number of services in Hitchin throughout the past year. While the ongoing pandemic has meant the way in which we could meet has often had to change depending on the government guidance at the time, the church has continued to attempt to provide a place where different groups can come and explore christianity.

Online Gatherings

At various times throughout the year we have been forced by lockdowns and ongoing public restrictions to move from in person gathering to meeting online. This has taken a number of different forms from prepared videos posted to Facebook and YouTube, to gathering on zoom to chat and discuss the weeks topic. Discussion is a key part of what we try and do at The Hub, giving everyone a chance to explore an idea and hear multiple points of view on a topic, and so it was important to try and keep this going at a time when it wasn’t always easy to get people together.

Morning Community

The work of our morning community is orientated around serving the needs of families, especially those who have young children for whom our evening community is often inaccessible due to the time at which it meets. Despite being aimed at families there is a wide range of ages who attend our morning service and it provides a healthy atmosphere where young and old can engage with each other and learn together.

While online the morning community continued to gather on zoom every Sunday morning, as can be expected a zoom call with a larger number of young children posed certain difficulties and although it was not always easy to hold the attention of some of the younger children it did at least give them, and their parents, a chance to see and chat with their friends

Despite being online for much of the year we have still seen a number of new people attend the morning community. For some being online was even a benefit as they could try out the Hub before moving to the area, something not possible had we just been meeting in person.

From October 2020 the Hub was able to move back to meeting in person, albeit with social distancing restrictions in place. Due to changes over the past year, the venue previously used was no longer available on a Sunday morning and so we started meeting at St. Johns community Centre. While mask wearing and social distancing felt strange there was a really good feel to being able to see each other and gather in person after not being able to for so long.

People in the congregation give financially to the vision and mission of the church which is used to contribute towards the cost of the venue and employ staff to assist in the running of the gatherings.

The Hub Church is part of The Hub Trust. Registered charity no. 1168348

Page 3

The Hub Church Hitchin [phone] [e-mail]

www.thehubchurch.co.uk

Evening Community

The work of the evening community is orientated around attempting to engage with 20s and 30s, the so called missing generation in the church.

People of all ages attend this community with the majority being in the 20s and 30s. This service is funded by people giving to the church and outside funders, the money is used to pay towards staff costs and venue hire.

Much like the morning community, the evening community spent much of the first part of the year meeting online. Including the morning community we ran 3 zoom gatherings every Sunday to allow people to be part of a zoom call that wasn’t full of too many people to try and give everyone the chance to talk. The use of break out rooms within this helped to maintain the ability to discuss in smaller groups while still feeling part of a larger group.

Being made up of predominantly of 20 and 30 year olds the switch to online gatherings was fairly easy with most being comfortable with much of the technology and methods of meeting even before the pandemic. Being made up of this age range did also mean that they often missed more of the social side that this community often has with opportunities to hang out after services limited in an online setting. It is because of this that when we were able to once again move back in person gatherings many we keen to do so. We continued to hold 3 gatherings on a Sunday (including the morning gathering) to enable proper social distancing while still providing a place for as many that wanted to come to an in person gathering as possible. Again much like with the morning gathering the ability to see people again and not to be confined to zoom meant there was a good atmosphere at the in person gatherings despite the necessary restrictions of social distancing.

As well as those that were keen to come back, there were also those that were more cautious for various reasons. It was felt that it was important not to leave these people without a place to be part of the church and so alongside the three in person gatherings we also continued to hold an online zoom gathering to give those that still wanted to stay at home, a place to discuss with others outside of their household.

Midweek Gatherings

Alongside our morning and evening communities we also run a number of midweek gatherings. These provide an excellent opportunity for members of both communities to meet up in smaller groups allowing for people to build strong relationships with each other where everyone can feel supported. Again for much of the year these too had to be held online, but it was great to see the creativity and wide range of ways people still managed to come together.

The main example of mid week gatherings this year has been though our mini hubs, smaller groups meeting up around specific topic or activity. Many of our larger whole church social activities have not been possible and so it was great to see the mini hubs fill in the gaps left by this and provide a real space for people to come together and socialise. Examples of our mini hubs this year have included online gaming groups, bible study discussion groups, a weekly online pub quiz and online alpha courses to name a few.

The Hub Church is part of The Hub Trust. Registered charity no. 1168348

Page 4

The Hub Church Hitchin [phone] [e-mail]

www.thehubchurch.co.uk

Alpha

Alpha continued to run at the Hub church but again had to be moved online. While this took away some of the social side and not being able to share a meal together, one of our main values is to create debate and Alpha is perfect at letting us live this out.

Phase

Many charities have struggled over the last year with a lot of fundraising opportunities not available due to social restriction. With this in mind the Hub felt it more important than ever to continue to support the local schools work charity Phase. Many members of the Hub got involved in our fundraising event “Destination Unknown”. People logged their distances while exercising, be that jogging, riding or even scooting in some cases, with the total distance tallied up to see how far from Hitchin we collectively got. By the end of the week the Hub had raised over £1000 for Phase and had clocked up enough miles to make it all the way to Athens.

Advancement of the Christian faith in other parts of the world.

The Hub trust aids in the advancement of the Christian faith abroad both directly through trips and time spent with other charities abroad, and also indirectly through financial support and donations to charities working throughout the world

Soul Action - South Africa

We have for some time now supported Soul Action - South Africa, a charity that works with leaders - of business, charity, the Church and education - to establish a more equitable, equal and integrated South Africa; a society where everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their God-given potential. Throughout the year we have continued to financially support their work.

Calais and Lebanon Refugee Support

While we have not been able to go to Calais this year to visit and work with the refugees we have still been able support them through the gathering of clothing and other donations to be sent to other charities still working in Calais. It is frustrating not to be able to do more, however the church still felt it important to try and do what little was possible in such difficult times.

We have also continued to financially support the great work carried out by the team at YFC in Lebanon. We continue to keep in relation with them and hope to re visit them at some point in the future.

The Hub Church is part of The Hub Trust. Registered charity no. 1168348

Page 5

The Hub Church Hitchin [phone] [e-mail]

www.thehubchurch.co.uk

Financial Review

The majority of Funding for The Hub Trust is that of charitable donations received from members of the congregation. This is supplemented by grants from other charitable organisations.

Reserves

At the end of the year ended 31st March 2021 the Hub Trust held a balance of £40,575, of which £231 are restricted for work with refugees and £40,344 are unrestricted.

The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £15,000 (which equates to about 3 months' of unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely. At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £40,300 and the charity is complying with its reserves policy.

Trustee Responsibility

Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.

We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.

We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.

David Holmes

The Hub Church is part of The Hub Trust. Registered charity no. 1168348

Page 6

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF

THE HUB TRUST

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Hub Trust ('the charity') for the year ended 31 March 2021 on pages 8 to 11 following.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or

1. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Jaimée Young

Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB

Date: 11 January 2022

Page 7

THE HUB TRUST

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Notes Income receipts Donations Gift aid receipts Grants Events and mission trip Other charitable activities Other Total receipts Payments 2 3 Total payments Transfers between funds 5 Net movement in funds Cash funds as at last year end Cash funds at this year end A Net of receipts / (payments) before transfers Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly		General Designated Funds Funds £ £ 54,974 - 9,796 - - - 1,700 - 193 - - - 66,664 - 51,691 - 5,745 - 57,436 - 9,228 - - - 9,228 - 31,117 - 40,345 - Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds £ 110 - 200 - - - 310 200 - 200 110 - 110 121 231	Total 2021 £ 55,084 9,796 200 1,700 193 - 66,974 51,891 5,745 57,636 9,338 - 9,338 31,237 40,575	Total 2020 £
		General Funds £ 54,974 9,796 - 1,700 193 - 66,664 51,691 5,745 57,436 9,228 - 9,228 31,117 40,345
					61,568 10,219 3,180 7,051 447 815
					83,280
					61,864 9,566
					71,430
					11,850 -
					11,850 19,387
					31,237

The notes on pages 10-11 form part of these accounts.

Page 8

THE HUB TRUST

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

A Cash funds Held at bank PayPal balance Petty cash B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to charity Other debtors C Liabilities Falling due within one year: 2021 event - deposits received Pension due Fee for Independent Examination Accrued expenses D Assets retained for charity's own use Music and PA equipment	General Designated funds funds £ £ 39,743 - 176 - 426 - 40,345 - 653 - - - 653 - - - - - 750 - 939 - 1,689 - Unrestricted Funds	Restricted funds £ 231 - - 231 - - - - - - - -	Total 2021 £ 39,973 176 426 40,575 653 - 653 - - 750 939 1,689 Value 2021 £ 8,715 8,715	Total 2020 £
				29,751 1,061 426
				31,237
				1,609 2,778
				4,387
				1,061 27 750 5,217
				7,055
				Value 2020 £
				8,520
				8,520

The trustees have used insurance values as the trustees are unable to reliably estimate current values; insurance values may differ materially from current values.

E Guarantees and secured debts

The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities.

The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf

by date David Holmes 21 December 2021

The notes on pages 10-11 form part of these accounts.

Page 9

THE HUB TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.

2 Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly Employment costs Rent Church ministry activities Parish share Outreach activities Insurance Support services Mission expenditure Equipment Church events Independent examination Other costs 3 Grants and gifts paid to others Grants for: Soul Action Lebanon YFC Organisations < £1,000 Individuals		Unrestrict	Designated funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ed Funds	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - 200 - - - - - 200 - - - - -	Total 2021 £ 36,953 8,571 2,501 1,357 51 442 668 - 416 - 750 183 51,891 4,070 841 814 20 5,745	Total 2020 £
		General funds £ 36,953 8,571 2,501 1,357 51 442 468 - 416 - 750 183 51,691 4,070 841 814 20 5,745
						28,447 10,740 4,911 1,918 764 633 3,223 127 149 9,784 540 629
						61,864
						6,137 1,178 1,301 951
						9,566

4 Transactions with related parties

David Holmes received £7,738 [2020: £7,550] for his role as church media co-ordinator, not in his role as trustee, as permitted by the governing document.

No payments were made to any other trustees or persons related to them, except for reimbursement of expenses paid out on behalf of the charity.

Page 10

THE HUB TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

5 Movement of funds General funds Restricted funds Grant to set up online church Refugee Fund Total funds	Balance at 31Mar2020 £ 31,117 31,117 - 121 121 31,237	Receipts £ 66,664 66,664 200 110 310 66,974	Payments £ (57,436) (57,436) (200) - (200) (57,636)	Transfers £ - - - - -	Balance at 31Mar2021 £ 40,345
					40,345
					- 231
					231
					40,575

The Refugee Fund is set up to provide support for refugees and victims of human trafficking.

Page 11